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<title>why would this put me in the mood for romance? (20 diamonds) by exbex</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26294350">why would this put me in the mood for romance? (20 diamonds)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/exbex/pseuds/exbex'>exbex</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>like watching a train crash into the titanic in slow motion [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Royal Romance (Visual Novel)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 08:34:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>527</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26294350</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/exbex/pseuds/exbex</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Maxwell Beaumont/Main Character (The Royal Romance)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>like watching a train crash into the titanic in slow motion [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1910521</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>why would this put me in the mood for romance? (20 diamonds)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You look good with a baby in your arms.”</p><p> </p><p>Olivia rolled her eyes at Maxwell, even as she smiled and snuggled Anna beneath her chin. “Go find your wife and dance with her.”</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, I’d love to, but I didn’t catch where she went off to.”</p><p> </p><p>Olivia inclined her head. “She went outdoors, probably into those gardens.”</p><p> </p><p>Maxwell had a spring in his step as he followed Olivia’s directions. His father’s treachery was still ever-present on his mind, but a moment alone with Riley always helped to clear his mind and give him some much-needed perspective.</p><p> </p><p>Maxwell slowed as he rounded a corner and saw Riley with the skirt of her violet dress bunched up in her hands as she rocked her body back and forth. </p><p> </p><p>“Riley…” he wanted to go to her, pull her into his arms, but her shoulders were hunched and drawn in, a thousand-yard stare affixed in her eyes. She looked up, her eyes red-rimmed. “Maxwell…” she said hoarsely.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey…” he sat down gingerly next to her. “Talk to me.”</p><p> </p><p>She looked at him for a moment that seemed to stretch like a rubber band. “I talked to some lawyers the other day. I didn’t tell you about that, did I?”</p><p> </p><p>“No...what did you talk about?” His stomach clenched around an icy knot.</p><p> </p><p>“Anna is one fourth Navajo. Which means she’s eligible for tribal membership.”</p><p> </p><p>“Okay...that’s a good thing, right?” The vice on his stomach loosened somewhat.</p><p> </p><p>“It means that the most Barthelemy will be able to achieve is joint custody, regardless of what he tries to pull.”</p><p> </p><p>Riley only looked sadder. Maxwell felt like he was sixteen and staring at columns of geometric proofs again. “Well...that’s good news, isn’t it?”</p><p> </p><p>Riley looked down at her hands. She slowly released the fabric, letting it slide between her fingers. “Landon was paying that hush money because he was so afraid of what people would think if Penelope’s secret got out. He voted to dethrone Liam and have us lose custody of Anna because the thought of people knowing that Penelope rushed into a marriage with a con artist was worse. And I stood up there and emotionally manipulated Penelope into confessing it on her wedding day. That is the kind of society I’m living in. that is the kind of society we’re raising our daughter in.”</p><p> </p><p>Maxwell inhaled sharply. “Okay, but show me a country on this planet that isn’t full of misogynist bullshit, and I’ll...eat my necktie.” He paused; if Riley needed to vent, that’s what he needed to let her do.</p><p> </p><p>Riley looked back at him, her eyes full of defeat. “Whatever happens...I’m done. I’m giving up my title and moving back to the States.”</p><p> </p><p>Maxwell’s breath hitched. “Riley…”</p><p> </p><p>“I won’t ask you to leave Cordonia. I wouldn’t do that to you.” She stood and made a half-hearted effort to smooth her skirt. “You can move to the States with me, or you can stay here and we can share custody.” She didn’t look at him as she walked away, but Maxwell could read the defeat in her the slump of her shoulders and her impassive expression.</p>
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